Demand Structured Output

In this solo episode, I walk through 10 concrete rules to get way more out of Claude Code and Claude Opus 4.5, based directly on tips Anthropic has shared in their docs and blog posts. I show how to move from vague prompts to architected briefs that use tone, constraints, structure, and power phrases to avoid “AI slop.” I demo examples across writing, research, teaching, and planning so you can see exactly how to apply each rule. By the end, you have a practical playbook for prompting Claude like a teammate and using it as a true thinking partner in your work.

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

00:56 – Rule #1: Tone of collaboration

02:16 – Rule #2: Principle of explicitness (action verbs, quantity, audience)

03:20 – Rule #3: Define the boundaries with clear constraints

04:26 – Rule #4: Draft, plan, then act (outline → refine → execute)

06:39 – Rule #5: Demand structured output (tables, formats, schemas)

08:00 – Rule #6: Explain the “why” behind your request

09:05 – Rule #7: Control brevity vs. verbosity (expert, brief, simplifier)

10:21 – Rule #8: Provide a scaffold and templates

11:21 – Rule #9: Use “power phrases” and expert personas

12:28 – Rule #10: Divide and conquer complex projects

14:09 – Putting it all together with an example

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Key Points

• I share 10 specific prompting rules that come directly from how Anthropic suggests people use Claude.

• I show how friendly, clear, and firm prompts beat either vague or overly polite requests.

• I demonstrate how explicit constraints (length, style, audience, banned words) create more creative and focused outputs.

• I use outlines, scaffolds, and structured formats to turn Claude into a planning and synthesis engine instead of a random text generator.

• I introduce “power phrases” like “think step by step” and “critique your own response” to unlock more advanced reasoning.

• I wrap everything into a final Stoicism lecture prompt that combines persona, context, constraints, structure, and tone.

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